A patent for Tracking usage behavior in computer systems was granted to Microsoft Tuesday after the software giant explained how it can use invisible images and 'small sized cookies' to surreptitiously track visitors on its own and others' web sites."

Neowin member xpgeek who syndicated the story from Bink wrote "Unless I'm interpreting this wrong, sounds like a standard tracking cookie to me. And I'm a bit puzzled by this.

Why would Microsoft even want this patent? Obviously everyone is already doing it, could they be planning to enforce it and actually put a stop to malicious tracking cookies for good, is that their intention, or, are they just getting a patent on it, with no plans to enforce it, before someone else does and makes a long drawn out legal, and stupid, mess trying to enforce it."

Lets hope its for implementing a standard. Microsoft was not immediately available for comment.